AIBU to have reported doorstep seller

[Persilorariel]

Just had an illegal doorstep seller peddling dusters ring my doorbell.
No mask, trying to show me things in his bag. This annoys me at the best of times, but now? Cases are really high, wasn’t very happy at being told to move on.

AIBU to report this peddler without a licence to the local police? I’ve already done it via an online form, but I’m not being too harsh am I? I can just image someone vulnerable rummaging in his bag and having a nice chat.

Note - I’m well aware of the colloquial NN name for these people, don’t want to offend any Nottingham people.

See this is why I always put rubber gloves on before I answer the door if I’m not expecting anyone. Sounds a bit out there but it works. I tell whoever it is that I’m the cleaner and I don’t have my purse with me. Works a charm on most door to door sellers or anyone soliciting anything.

It doesn’t work on the Jehovah’s Witnesses but I just politely tell them no. I can’t bring myself to be mean to them, they’re completely misguided but they genuinely believe they’re trying to help.

@AdobeWanKenobi

Our JW letter came with an SAE. I didn't waste it.

I used the SAE to reply, telling them to remove my address from their mailings immediately. I also told them how disgusted I was that they spent roughly £1.20 per household sending out their pamphlets when they could have done much more good in the community by devoting the hundreds they had spent locally to a food bank.

I don't think I'll hear from them again.

Well said!!!!! Very good point about the money 👏🏻👍🏻

@AdobeWanKenobi

They don't give a shit about non-Jehovah’s so they never ever contribute to the local community. Maybe individually some do (many are good people deep down but brainwashed) but not through the organisation. It is not like general Christian religion. Only Jehovah’s matter. That’s literally the whole point of the religion. Jehovah is only going to save them and kill everybody else. They they are discouraged from interacting with non Jehovah’s unless to convert them. They are only registered as a charity for the tax exceptions.

It’s a fucking disgusting organisation, unfortunately I don’t think they’ll bat an eyelid at your letter. You aren’t a JW so anything you say is just devil worshipper crap.

Sorry, derailed the thread there. I had a niché job that had me studying JW’s and Mormon’s for a while. Hence the name. I could go on for days lol.

@user1471565182

Yeah heard the 'chalking houses with dogs' thing a few times. Often 'they look foreign' attached to it. Its just Facebook cranks winding up the gullible.

Are you saying that marking houses for dog thefts never happens? That this is just one of those facebook myths?

I get what you mean about the exaggeration over the levels of evil of NKs, but the dog thing is real, whoever is doing it!

Anecdata here I understand but here, where I live, we have had a spate of targetted thefts: bitches with pups; good looking dogs; young dogs of all sorts. The chalk marks, or zip strapping is real, copycat maybe, but nevertheless real. As someone whose neighbout lost a dog to thieves just before Christmas I don't take those reports lightly any more! I can see from my front door the railing they zipstrapped and am just thankful (selfishly) that it wasn't my door and my dog!

@Awwlookatmybabyspider

A sob story. What a disgusting comment. !!!!!!!!!!!!. This is someone who has fought for this Country and risked his life... Poor bloke was just trying to make some money. Well I hope you’re happy and pleased with yourself if ends up going further down hill.

Do you really believe that?!

My sister told the JWs that her DH is mad keen on oral sex and they've never been back.

Not permitted in their religion apparently but I'm not brave enough to tell them that.

I'd love to know what the NHS did for the poster who called 111 on a knife seller.

I didn't realise that this was still a thing.
I remember they used to knock when I was a child, think DM fell for it once and bought a chamois leather for the windows, it fell to bits the first time she used it.
We get 'tree surgeons' knocking round here, always in unmarked vans. One of the neighbours asked them to lop some conifers and they basically wrecked the trees and charged her a fortune for it.

Total scam.

@NotExactlyHappyToHelp

See this is why I always put rubber gloves on before I answer the door if I’m not expecting anyone. Sounds a bit out there but it works. I tell whoever it is that I’m the cleaner and I don’t have my purse with me. Works a charm on most door to door sellers or anyone soliciting anything.

It doesn’t work on the Jehovah’s Witnesses but I just politely tell them no. I can’t bring myself to be mean to them, they’re completely misguided but they genuinely believe they’re trying to help.

Or you could just say “no thank you” and shut the door I dint know why people find the need to go to the trouble of pretending not to live there or claiming to have no money in the house or any other schemes to get out of engaging with people. You have a door, close it! Same with telesales people, don’t give the phone to a toddler, blow a whistle, claim you only rent. Just HANG UP

I've had both the deaf-mute and ex-con versions round, in non-Covid times. The 'ex-con' gestured at my metal security gate and said 'don't worry, I can't get to you to stab you through that'.

And some mumsnetters fail to understand why some of us don't answer the door unless we are expecting someone...

I didn't know this was a real thing people even did.

Yanbu op

We get them round here every few months. It’s an organised scam scouting for vulnerable properties etc. Some of them get very abusive and threatening including to the elderly if refuse to buy. Definitely report to police who are probably already looking for them for burglary/l or other offences.

Are you saying that people dont know how to use phones or how to write a house number down on paper and for some sort of victoriana kicks are going around chalking houses?

@user1471565182

Are you saying that people dont know how to use phones or how to write a house number down on paper and for some sort of victoriana kicks are going around chalking houses?

Yes, instead of sending their Criminal mates a text they definitely put a chalk mark on your wall which could be spotted and/or washed away by rain

@Awwlookatmybabyspider

A sob story. What a disgusting comment. !!!!!!!!!!!!. This is someone who has fought for this Country and risked his life... Poor bloke was just trying to make some money. Well I hope you’re happy and pleased with yourself if ends up going further down hill.

I live in a small rural village and we get them. It is a ruse to see who has dogs .It happened at a time when a lot of dogs were getting snatched or attempted to be snatched. They would knock on the door then people who had dogs they felt worth taking would find marks on their property. Police actually put a notice out so no they are not for real at all and some got really aggressive with people when told no .

@KarmaStar

Someone was doing that around here before Christmas. But he was chalking driveways/gate posts with houses that contained dogs.

Yeap it happened here back end of last year. There was cases of them actually trying to snatch dogs while the owner was walking them. They underestimated the area thought being rural the word soon got round and people starting walking dogs with a family member with them .

@user1471565182

The thing about dog thefts and them doing this to scout out burglary is so exaggerated. 99% nonsense.

Really?? I can assure you where I live it was really prolific the back end of last year. People were being stopped and it was a known gang doing the rounds and they would actually try and snatch the dog .I am not going to say where I live but this is 100 % true .People did have their dogs taken and some never got them back. You are talking 🐂💩 .

@user1471565182

Yeah heard the 'chalking houses with dogs' thing a few times. Often 'they look foreign' attached to it. Its just Facebook cranks winding up the gullible.

Zip ties too .I don't know why you are so adamant it doesn't happen. I have seen pictures on fb on where people in my area have found zip ties on their property where they have a dog .It is a known way of making a property. I assume you think our local police actually put a warning out for people to be aware for shit and giggles then 🤷‍♀️.

Because when you google zip tie dog thefts it’s just various local police forces saying it’s absolute nonsense?

@KatieGGGG

Because when you google zip tie dog thefts it’s just various local police forces saying it’s absolute nonsense?

Well it happened round here and zips ties were used .Just because it doesn't happen in one area doesn't mean it doesn't happen in another. We are rural so trying zip ties to a fence is a known way that dog snatching gangs mark properties.

I never trust anyone with a sob story.

Entertained by the various ways to mark houses with dogs.

Just in case the putative gangs miss the beware of the dog signs or the lout barking.